Rouhani can take steps to improve Iran press freedom

After eight hellish years for Iran's journalists under
outgoing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the election of Hassan Rouhani was
welcomed with hope for a better future. As soon as he takes office in August,
he should act on his view and take steps to protect journalists in Iran.

Admittedly, it is not clear how much influence Rouhani will
have as president. In Iran, the judiciary and government work separately (the
third power is Parliament), and all these forces work under Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who also has an eye on some government divisions such
as the intelligence services. While arrests are made by the judiciary, the
president has the power to negotiate or raise awareness in some cases.

In his first press conference after the election, Rouhani was
asked if he would lift restrictions on certain political figures, a likely
reference to opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, who are
under house arrest. In response, he admitted it was not his decision alone, the
Guardian
reported. The same likely applies to imprisoned journalists.

The president-elect benefited from the support of reformist
journalists inside and out of Iran. Many have fled into exile, fearing arrest,
and many of those who remain are imprisoned or unemployed as a result of the
shutdown of media outlets. Even conservative and state-affiliated outlets have
not escaped the press crackdown in Iran, CPJ research
shows.

Ideally, Rouhani could try to open up Iran's tightly
controlled system and facilitate freeing imprisoned journalists. Iran is the
second worst jailer
of journalists in the world, after Turkey, with 40 behind bars. But if the
ideal is impossible, there are small steps he could take like negotiating for
visitation rights, furlough, and adequate medical care denied many imprisoned
journalists.

For example, he could negotiate for regular furloughs and
ensure visitation rights for Bahman Ahmadi Amouee, who was arrested during the
Green Movement uprising and sentenced to five years in jail. Released for a
short furlough in March, Amouee is back
in prison, per CPJ research. His journalist wife, Zhila Bani Yaghoub, was released
last month after serving a one-year prison term, according to news reports.

The government could also reinstate publications which have
been banned, giving ordinary Iranians access to a wider range of news sources
and journalists better employment opportunities. Publications need permission
to run from the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance and under Rouhani's
watch, there is potential for conditions to improve. A safer situation in Iran
and more employment opportunities could also help some Iranian journalists who
fled the country after the 2009 crackdown return. Currently, some of them
work--mostly on contract-- for international outlets such as BBC Persian, Voice
of America, and Radio Free Europe, but many are unemployed or work on small
projects that are dependent on grants.

The family members of some journalists living abroad have
been harassed: summoned, questioned, and threatened that they will lose their
job or retirement benefits if the journalist continues his or her work, CPJ researchshows.
Rouhani should insist this harassment stops.

Online censorship and surveillance also needs to be addressed.
Iran's current Internet regime creates major barriers not only for journalists
to do their work, but for ordinary Iranians to access
independent news sources. Some of the tightest constraints against the Internet
have eased since the election, but even the pre-election "normal" is very
restricted. Rouhani seems to agree. In a speech on July 2, he said the
widespread filtering of the Internet has only increased distrust between the
people and the government, according to his Twitter account. He even called
social media a "welcome phenomenon."

Iran could also take steps to facilitate the work of
international journalists. Leading up to the presidential elections, CPJ described
how the Iranian government restricted independent international coverage. If
they do gain access to the country, journalists run the risk of interrogation
or detention if they stray far from the regime's designated path. Iran dar Jahan (Iran in the world), an
exile-run publication based in New York, reported
that American journalists censor themselves in order not to lose their press
visa or jeopardize their chance of getting a visa in the future. The government
should stop withholding visas and allow international journalists to report
freely.

Finally, Rouhani should ensure that the Iranian Journalist
Association be allowed to reopen. When asked about the association during his
first press conference, he responded,
"All the guilds should be permitted to work freely."

Many Iranian voters say their main motivation for choosing Rouhani
is the promises he made during his campaign. Rouhani is known as a moderate
politician and this can be his strong point in negotiating between different
factions of power in Iran's complicated political landscape.

Solmaz Sharif has worked for more than 13 years as a journalist in the Middle East and has published articles in Persian, Turkish and American media. She is founder of the first Iranian women’s sports magazine, Shirzanan, and works for CyberDissidents.org. Her work can be found at www.solmazsharifdj.com.

Comments

Thanks for detailed information about the current situation of Persian journalists.
The author has herself confirmed that key role on this matter belongs to the supreme leader, so how we can expect Rouhani to do some thing effective?!
I think the first paragraph of the article is not correct:
"... the election of Hassan Rouhani was welcomed with hope for a better future."
by who?
reformists? what about the rest?!